Spreading Forks

[dkel]

Spreading the rear end by a few mm is not an issue on a steel frame. You can either spread it by hand and squeeze the hub in each time you put in the wheel, or you can have a shop spread it permanently to fit the hub you want to use. You could make a homemade gadget out of a long threaded rod and some nuts, and use it to spread the frame yourself, but you will risk putting it out of square that way. I’d recommend getting the hub you want and try putting it in there; if you get tired of having to spread the frame every time, spend the $20 to have a shop set the spacing.

[peterw_diy]

@dkel 117132 wrote:

Spreading the rear end by a few mm is not an issue on a steel frame.

Some prominent frame builders would disagree with you. While lots of folks have used Sheldon Brown’s cold set technique, I’ve also read of custom builders reporting frame failures after their frames were spread by others.

[DismalScientist]

Are you sure you want a new cassette for more gears? Cassettes typically have small cogs starting at 11, typically too small to be useful with large front rings of old style cranks. Freewheels generally start at 14.
If your current rear wheel is in good shape, you can get more gears by going with a 7 or 8 speed freewheel. The 8 speed requires 130mm spacing and will need an axle spacer as well. With a wider freewheel, you should redish the wheel. This allow adding gear by only replacing the freewheel and chain.

You may wish to consider bar end shifters because brifters suck.

As far as spreading frames, you may not want to do this with a 58 or 60cm frame, but instead sell it to me at an extreme fire sale price.

[mstone]

well, we’ve heard from the retrogrouch contingent

go for the brifters, they suck less

[dkel]

@peterw_diy 117133 wrote:

Some prominent frame builders would disagree with you. While lots of folks have used Sheldon Brown’s cold set technique, I’ve also read of custom builders reporting frame failures after their frames were spread by others.

We’re talking about a mere 2mm on each side of the frame. The frame flexes more than that in many places just while being ridden. Steel is flexible enough to stretch that far to fit a wider hub without cold setting, if permanently resetting the spacing is a concern. It’s just a pain to get the wheel in and out, and might not be the best thing for the lifespan of the hub bearings.

[dkel]

@DismalScientist 117142 wrote:

You may wish to consider bar end shifters because brifters suck.

Maybe you just don’t know how to use brifters. :rolleyes:

[cvcalhoun]

@mstone 117143 wrote:

well, we’ve heard from the retrogrouch contingent

go for the brifters, they suck less

You say “retrogrouch” like it’s a bad thing!

[jabberwocky]

I have an old Lotus Legend that I put a 130mm hub into with zero issues. 2mm a side is barely even flexing it. I also had a disc CX bike for a while that was (for some reason) 130mm that I used MTB hubs in (135mm) with no issues.

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